WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is recommending that countries in the region adopt a phased approach to reopening schools for face-to-face learning in the 2021/22 academic year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BELMOPAN, Belize – Belize has shelved plans for the return of students to classrooms for face-to-face tuition for the new academic year after the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) recommended that schools at all levels begin in full distance learning mode.

When students return to the schoolhousefor in-person learning in August, it will have been 18 months since the onset of the pandemic. For most students, the return to a measure of normalcy will be welcomed, for others, the transition may be challenging. The fact that some youth will struggle is not surprising nor unexpected.

NASSAU, Bahamas – The Bahamas government says schools will reopen next month with no face-to-face classes due to the resurgence in the number of coronavirus (COVID019) cases.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ (M-DCPS) Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) – a free program that prepares four-year-old children for kindergarten and beyond – will be available in more than 200 schools countywide for the 2021-2022 school year. Children can register for VPK programs if they turn 4 years old on or before September 1st of the current school year. 

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica government Tuesday warned against parents having to pay annual fees for their children to attend schools here, reminding school administrators that no child should be denied the right to an education if school fees are not paid.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) while it has for now taken a decision that it will not mandate staff and students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic, its position may change based on if the matter is legislated or pronounced upon by the Courts.

Miami, – JPMorgan Chase announced today a $500,000 grant to help launch the Multi-Organization Supports for Access, Inclusion and Completion (MOSAIC) program at Miami Dade College (MDC), designed to help Black students complete college and connect with careers and jobs in high-demand technology fields.

MIAMI-DADE – Hundreds of schoolchildren are well-prepared for the upcoming school year after receiving free book bags and school supplies from County Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz. The event took place July 31 in the Chairman’s Doral district office.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados –The High Court has ruled that the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) had to be properly consulted about fundamental changes to terms and conditions of members’ employment.

As we approach the start of the new school year, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is closely monitoring the latest developments concerning the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as local conditions. Due to significantly shifting conditions in our community; the disproportionate impact that the Delta variant is having on individuals, including those who are vaccinated or have antibodies; the fact that vaccinations are not available for all ages; atypical cases involving healthy and younger individuals who have been hospitalized, as a result of COVID-19; the most recent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), M-DCPS will once again meet and consult with local health officials in the coming days regarding the school experience in the fall, particularly as it relates to the mask policy in schools and District facilities.

When students return to the schoolhouse for in-person learning in August, it will have been 18 months since the onset of the pandemic. For most students, the return to a measure of normalcy will be welcomed, for others, the transition may be challenging. The fact that some youth will struggle is not surprising nor unexpected.